Maestro mouthpiece

Abstract

A first mouthpiece having a flat heel surface 12 which rests directly on a horse's bars, a tongue porte 14 of sufficient size to receive a horse's tongue and of such height so as not to interfere with most horse's palates, a horizontal tongue shelf 16 of sufficient length to provide a comfortable resting place for the tongue, a rotation mechanism 32 and a rotation stop 30 embedded in the inside end 48 of a right mouthpiece extension 46 to protect the tongue. Rotatable right and left mouthpiece extensions 46 and 40 are coupled to the cannons 10 to isolate rotation of bridle reins from the cannons.

We claim: 
     
       1. A mouthpiece insertable into a horse's mouth in engagement with a horse's mouth bars and receiving the horse's tongue, the mouthpiece comprising: a bit having an opposed pair of cannons; a heel projecting inwardly along each cannon from an outer edge of each cannon to an inner end spaced from an inner end of the heel on the opposed cannon, each heel having a flattened portion engageable with a horse's mouth bars.   
     
     
       2. The mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein: the flattened portion of each heel extends arcuately with respect to a longitudinal axis of each cannon to the inner end.   
     
     
       3. The mouthpiece of claim 2 further comprising: the inner ends of each heel are spaced apart defining an opening therebetween;   a tongue porte joined to and extending from the pair of cannons, an inner surface of the tongue porte facing the cannons being substantially planar; and   a tongue shelf formed on a surface of each cannon opposite from the heel and extending between one end of the tongue porte and the inner end of each heel.   
     
     
       4. The mouthpiece of claim 3 wherein the tongue shelves are spaced apart at the inner ends of the heels. 
     
     
       5. The mouthpiece of claim 3 further comprising: an extension rotatably attached to each of the pair of cannons, each extension connectable to a rotatable member and isolating rotation of the rotatable member from the cannons.   
     
     
       6. The mouthpiece of claim 5 further comprising: rotation stop means, cooperatively formed on one of the pair of cannons and one of the mouthpiece extensions, for limiting the amount of rotation of the one extension relative to the one cannon.   
     
     
       7. The mouthpiece of claim 1 wherein the inner ends of each heel define an opening therebetween. 
     
     
       8. The mouthpiece of claim 1 further comprising: a tongue porte extending from and joined to the pair of cannons, an inner surface of the tongue porte facing the cannons being substantially planar.   
     
     
       9. The mouthpiece of claim 8 further comprising: a tongue shelf formed on a surface of each cannon opposite from the heel and extending between one end of the tongue porte and the inner end of each heel.   
     
     
       10. The mouthpiece of claim 9 wherein the tongue shelves are spaced apart at the inner ends of the heels. 
     
     
       11. The mouthpiece of claim 1 further comprising: an extension rotatably attached to each of the pair of cannons, each extension connectible to a rotatable member and isolating rotation of the rotatable member from the cannons.   
     
     
       12. The mouthpiece of claim 11 further comprising: rotation stop means, cooperatively formed on one of the pair of cannons and one of the extensions, for limiting the amount of rotation of the one extension relative to the one cannon.   
     
     
       13. A mouthpiece insertable into a horse's mouth in engagement with a horse's mouth bars and receiving the horse's tongue, the mouthpiece comprising: a bit having an opposed pair of cannons; a heel projecting inward along a bottom edge of each cannon to an inner end; and   a tongue porte joined to and projecting from each cannon, the tongue porte having an arcuate shape extending between the pair of cannons, the tongue porte having a flat inner surface facing the pair of cannons.   
     
     
       14. The mouthpiece of claim 13 further comprising: a tongue shelf formed on a surface of each cannon opposite from the heel and extending between one end of the tongue porte and the inner end of each heel.   
     
     
       15. The mouthpiece of claim 14 further comprising: the tongue shelves formed on the pair of cannons are spaced apart at the inner ends of the heels.   
     
     
       16. A mouthpiece insertable into a horse's mouth in engagement with a horse's mouth bars and receiving the horse's tongue, the mouthpiece comprising: a bit having an opposed pair of cannons;   a heel projecting inwardly along each cannon from an outer edge of each cannon to an inner end, each heel having a flattened portion engageable with a horse's mouth bars; and   a tongue shelf formed on a surface of each cannon opposite from the heel and extending between one end of the tongue porte and the inner end of each heel.   
     
     
       17. The mouthpiece of claim 16 further comprising: the tongue shelves formed on the pair of cannons are spaced apart at the inner ends of the heels.